Dunedin MN Anniversary

[Lou Barron]

This morning we held a Merchant Navy church service at the Iona Church in Port Chalmers and this being our branch 20th Anniversary it was a very moving service and a few speeches from some of our local dignitary gave the MN a lot of praise for their wartime service so be it

[Peter Trodden]

Lou,after the sevice did you retire to Chicks Bar for a few ? But I suppose it's well gone by now.
ttfn. Peter.

[Lou Barron]

Yes Peter Chicks is still there Now could i ask you a question a few months ago Deep Sea mention about a ceremonythat whats to be held in Birkenhead and it was to commemrate some thing to do with the war and a plaque or something like that to be put in Hamilton square .Hope to see you when i get over there

[Peter Trodden]

Hello Lou,
DeepSea maybe referring to the Plaque that was layed some time ago by the local MNA (Merchant Navy Association) Along the Full length of the gardens to the Front and each side of the Cenotaph are numerous Plaques dedicated to various organisations both Military and Civilian that played a part in War Time.
Lou, it would be an honour to meet with you during your visit to your HOME TOWN.
ttfn.Peter.

[Peter Trodden]

This morning we held a Merchant Navy church service at the Iona Church in Port Chalmers and this being our branch 20th Anniversary it was a very moving service and a few speeches from some of our local dignitary gave the MN a lot of praise for their wartime service so be it

Lou.
I've just been reading of your first service in Dunedin, Feb 14.'93. in one of my old Sea Breezes. Its a letter from AA Sutton of Burkes,Ravensburne,Dunedin
In it he tells of the Mayor,Mr Richard Walls unveiling a Plaque dedidated to the MN and their Shipmates of Otago.This Plaque was then placed on a Pillar in front of Port Chalmers Maritime Museum. I know your still active with your local MNA,is Mr Sutton?
ttfn Peter.
p.s.There is a photo of the Plaque with the letter.

[Lou Barron]

Yes Peter i was only talking to Albie Sutton last Sunday i know him very well .
Has for the plaque when a guy called Johnny Cawley who i knew from our early days in Dunedin and it was in the pub one time i and a couple of exMN guys having a beer this would a long time ago and we got talking about starting a MN assc so Johnny wrote to the local mp but it was a negative answer but knowing Johhny a very on the ball sort of a guy kept on going so we formed a committee and to cut the story short that was a starter with the help of the Otago Harbour Board we got the plaque put on the wall on the maritime museum i think i am the only member still alive from them days a lot of the original members have all crossed the bar

[Lou Barron]

I forgot to mention two guys who made a very big help in making the association very strong in them early days was Stan Kirkpatrck and Bill Old these two guys was really outstanding Stan was our historian collecter and Bill a ex Dunedin councillor was our secretary both have passed on .Iwas made a life member in 2006

[Lou Barron]

While i am on about our MN Assc we are affiliated to the local RSA but i do not do any thing for them .The only other Ass0ciation that i was really interested in was the NZ EX POW assc (now defunct) that i joined in 1949 and i served on the committee from 1951right through till the end .It was one of the best things i ever did i met some really good people and a coupleof the guys became my mates .I served in many jobswhile on the committee ending up as the last Presidentand was made a life member in about 1990 i could tell many stories about them days and now i think i am the only one left out of that good breed of men

[happy daze john in oz]

Lou, I think your RSA is the same as our RSL here in Oz. Sadly the older members are falling of the perch at a rate of knots, some of the clubs have closed now due to lack of membership. We had a subsidery branch here in Sunbury, now closed for that reason. But up on the river the big ones still do OK but there are few ex servicemen now.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Hi John.
It's the same here in Cooma very few ex servicemen left, I don't think the ones from the Arab Spring wars will bother, I think it has to be six of ex service and four ordinary for the committee.
Cheers Des

sigpic3705_1.gif